A Yacht Voyage Round England Part 7

d.i.c.k replied that if his uncle and aunt would let him he would come fast enough; and as they were strolling on before, we three ran after them.

d.i.c.k told them of the invitation he had received. I guessed by the faces of the old lady and gentleman that they would not refuse. I was right; and it was at once settled that d.i.c.k should return home and pack up a few traps, and come on board that very evening.

Dropping a little way behind, we were joined by Jack, when we set up a shout, which somewhat astonished Aunt Deborah and her husband. We saw the latter, who was somewhat deaf, enquiring what the noise was about.

When d.i.c.k joined them he got a scolding for being so improperly hilarious.

While he and his relatives returned across the ferry to Stonehouse, we went to see the steam floating bridge, similar to that used between Portsmouth and Gosport. We much wished that we had had time to pull up the Tamar, the scenery of which is highly picturesque. Small steamboats run up it a considerable distance, and carry excursionists. We went some distance up, to see the beautiful iron bridge which spans it, as also to have a look at the Oreston quarries, from which the material for forming the breakwater was princ.i.p.ally procured.

On getting back to Cat.w.a.ter we found d.i.c.k and his traps waiting for us, so we quickly transferred him and them on board the Lively; while Oliver took up his quarters, by Uncle Tom's invitation, on board the Dolphin.

As we had still daylight, and the tide suited, we got up our anchors and sailed down the Sound, steering for the western entrance, when we saw a white light burst forth from the lighthouse at the end of the breakwater.

"Why, I thought it was a red light," I observed.

"So it is when turned seaward; but by having a white light looking up the harbour, vessels know when they are well inside," answered papa.

As we ran out we pa.s.sed a large fleet of fishing-boats also coming out of Cawsand Bay, which, before the breakwater was built, was the most secure anchorage during south-westerly gales. These boats were engaged in the whiting fishery. The fish are not only sold in Plymouth and the neighbouring towns, but are sent up in large quant.i.ties to the London market.

Returning on board, we stood northward, that we might obtain a view of the coast as we sailed along. d.i.c.k and I remained on deck all the morning. At last we sighted Looe, the first town we had seen on the Cornish coast. Looe stands at the mouth of a valley, at the bottom of which runs a stream. It consists of East and West Looe--romantic foreign-looking places. The houses are grouped together irregularly, with whitewashed walls, stairs outside, green roofs and grey gables, with myrtles, geraniums, and other plants of a warm climate flourishing in their midst. West Looe is inhabited chiefly by fishermen, their humble cottages being scattered about without any respect to order.

However, we obtained but a distant view of it.

As the wind freshened up a little we stood on towards Fowey, pa.s.sing Looe Island and Talland Point. Fowey is a place of far more importance than Looe, although much of its ancient glory has departed. The town rises above the quay, and consists of a number of narrow, crooked streets; and it has a quiet old market-house, a fine tower, and a building called the _Place_ House. The town owes much to a patriotic gentleman, Joseph Treffry, by whose means it has of late years been greatly improved.

Once upon a time, when Liverpool was a mere fishing-village, Fowey sent forth a large fleet to aid King Edward--no less than forty-seven ships, with seven hundred and seventy mariners, swelled the king's fleet.

Often, too, the men of Fowey beat back their French invaders; indeed, the Place House was built as a fortress.

On going out of Fowey we pa.s.sed a number of coasters loaded with china clay, which is found in large quant.i.ties near this town. a.r.s.enic also is found in many of the Cornish mines. Persons employed in obtaining it suffer greatly from its poisonous fumes.

The flashing light of Saint Anthony's Point burst forth when we were about three miles from the entrance of Falmouth Harbour, and enabled us, with the a.s.sistance of the green fixed light on the breakwater, to take up a safe berth inside. We had heard much of the beauty of Falmouth, and expected next morning to be delighted with its appearance.

"Well, I really think I shall make a very good sailor," said d.i.c.k, as we sat at supper, while the vessel lay at anchor in the calm harbour. "I feel as well as I ever did in my life."

"You must take care not to pitch head foremost overboard, as you were nearly doing this morning," observed Jack; "you might not be as fortunate as I was--to be picked up again."

"Why, I forgot that there was the water between you and me; and when you shouted out I was going to run up and shake hands," was the answer.

The fact was that d.i.c.k, while we were near the Dolphin, was as nearly as possible walking overboard, with the intention of getting on her deck, and would have done so had not Truck hauled him back. d.i.c.k had no notion of which was the stem and which the stern of the vessel, or how the wind acted on the sails; nor could he make out why we tacked; and several times he asked how it was that we did not sail directly towards the point to which we wished to go.

"I say, what do you call that stick in the middle of the boat?" he asked, after he had been on board some hours; "and that other one running out at one end; and why has your uncle's vessel got two sticks and you only one; if one is enough, why should he have two?"

I explained that our vessel was a cutter, and that the Dolphin was a schooner, and that the stick running out at one end was the bowsprit, on which the jib was set to turn the head of the vessel either one way or the other.

"Nothing like asking questions," observed papa, when we laughed at d.i.c.k.

"Stick to the custom, my boy, and you'll soon know as much as these youngsters. A person who is afraid of asking questions remains in ignorance."

As may be supposed, d.i.c.k hit his head pretty hard against the beam above him several times before he learned to roll into his berth after the most approved fashion.

Soon after daybreak we were on deck in our shirts, intending to jump overboard and take a swim. Jack and Oliver made their appearance at the same moment on board the Dolphin, and shouting to us, overboard they went, and came swimming up. I, pulling my shirt over my head, followed their example. d.i.c.k, forgetting to pull off his shirt, with wonderful courage--which arose, however, from ignorance--plunged after me, when to our dismay we discovered that he had no notion of swimming. I was already some distance from the side of the vessel.

Poor d.i.c.k began splashing about, and striking out as he had seen me do; but, beginning to sink, he shouted out, "Help, help!"

Fortunately, Captain Truck saw him, and hove a grating close to him with a rope attached to it.

"Hold on to this, young gentleman, until Master Harry comes to help you.

Don't be afraid, and you'll be all right."

d.i.c.k caught hold of the grating, and wisely did as he was advised. I, hearing his cries, had in the meantime turned round, and getting up to him, took a rope which Truck heaved to me, and fastened it round his waist.

"You are all right now," I said; "but before you attempt to do anything else, learn to strike out with your feet with regular strokes. Pull your knees up, and then shove them out horizontally even with the surface of the water. There, that will do capitally; you see how fast you shove the grating ahead."

Truck on this slackened out more rope; and d.i.c.k, delighted, soon carried the rope out as far as it would go. Then, turning the grating round, I made him push it back again towards the vessel.

"Now rest a bit--just as I am doing," I said; "don't move, but let your legs and body float up; just touch the grating with your arms stretched out, and as much of your body as possible under the water. There, you see, you float like a cork. Now you observe that, if you remain perfectly quiet, the water will float your body. All the grating now does is to support your head; but if you were to turn on your back, and let your head sink down into the water, with only your face above, the water would support your head."

d.i.c.k did as I suggested, and was quite surprised to find how perfectly he floated.

"Now, you see, when swimming, you require only the movement of your arms to keep your head above water, although they also a.s.sist you to progress and to guide yourself; but the feet make most of the onward movement.

Just try without the grating, and the rope will bring you up if you sink."

d.i.c.k, who was quite rested again, did as I advised, and managed to get from one end of the vessel to the other, although it must be confessed that more water ran down his throat than he found pleasant. I then showed him how he could tread water, by keeping his body perfectly upright with his arms folded; here was a still greater surprise to him, and he was thus able to keep his chin well out of the water, and sometimes, by striking hard, to raise his shoulders even above the surface.

"This is capital!" he exclaimed. "Though I had read about swimming, I had no notion how it was done; and I could not have supposed it possible that water could float me so easily. I had tried several times in the ponds, and nearly drowned myself."

"Ah, but we have got the salt-water of the Atlantic here, which is far more buoyant than the fresh water," I observed.

d.i.c.k was so delighted that it was with difficulty we could get him to come on board again and dress for breakfast.

"You'll make a first-rate swimmer in a few days, sir," said Paul Truck, as he a.s.sisted him up the side. "I'll tell you why--you have no more fear than a Newfoundland dog. The reason people can't swim is that they fancy that they can't; whereas, the Newfoundland dog knows that he can, and goes in and does it."

Having dried myself, I ran down and brought up a clean shirt for d.i.c.k, who asked Truck to fasten his up in the rigging.

"Better souse it out with fresh water first, or you wouldn't find it pleasant to put on again," answered the captain, laughing; "the salt would tickle your skin, I've a notion."

"Not if it is dry, surely?" asked d.i.c.k.

"Yes; you see the salt would remain. Why, you'd have as much salt in that shirt as would serve you for dinner for a week if I was to, dry it in the sun without rinsing it out. Haven't you ever seen salt in the holes of the rocks?"

d.i.c.k had not, but I very frequently had.

"How do you think that salt comes there?" asked Truck.

d.i.c.k could not tell.

"Why, it's just this: the sun draws up the fresh water, and doesn't draw up the salt, but leaves that behind. If it wasn't for that, we should have salt rain; and a pretty go that would be; for all the trees, and plants, and gra.s.s would be killed, and vessels, when away from land and hard up for water, would not be able to get any."

We had been so busy dressing that we had not had time to admire the harbour. We now agreed that it looked a very beautiful spot, with bright green fields and the white houses of the town, with Pendennis Castle on the western point and Saint Mawes opposite to it. Facing Falmouth we could see Flushing, and church towers and villas on the sh.o.r.es of the river Fal away to the northward.

On going on sh.o.r.e, however, the place did not appear quite so attractive, and the streets and alleys had a Wapping look about them, and were redolent of the odours of a seaport. But as we got out of the more commercial part, the town improved greatly. One of the most interesting buildings we visited was that of the Cornwall Sailors' Home, though there were many other fine public buildings.

Pendennis Castle chiefly occupied our attention. It is of considerable size. At one part is a round tower--the most ancient portion of the building--erected in the time of Henry the Eighth. The works extend seaward, so that they guard the entrance to the harbour. We wandered from bastion to bastion, gazing over the ocean two hundred feet below us. The paved platforms, the heavy guns, and the magazines for ammunition showed that the fortress was prepared for an enemy. Should one appear, may its garrison hold out as bravely as did that under the command of old John Arundel, a partisan of the Stuarts, when besieged by the Parliamentary army, until the defenders and their brave captain were starved into submission.